According to a recent assessment by the Institute for Corruption Studies at Illinois State University, Hawaii, popularly referred to as the Aloha State, has once again earned the dubious distinction of being the most corrupt city in the United States.
The largest state capital of Hawaii, Honolulu, is ranked as having the greatest percentage of public corruption convictions per capita in the report, which ranks cities from 1976 to 2024. Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and New York are among the other cities on the list.
Hawaii’s Corruption-Relating Factors
Hawaii has high levels of corruption, and the report’s author, economist Oguzhan Dincer, who also serves as the director of the Institute for Corruption Studies, identifies several contributing factors:
Historical Legacy: Political and economic inequality brought about by Hawaii’s history of colonization, annexation, and statehood has sparked resistance and animosity among native Hawaiians and other ethnic groups. This historical background has fostered a culture in which loyalty, partiality, and personal ties are valued more highly than honesty, openness, and responsibility.
Geographic Vulnerability: Hawaii is vulnerable to outside influences due to its remote position, reliance on tourism, and military spending. By working together with local politicians and officials who accept bribes, kickbacks, and campaign contributions in exchange for their support and influence, foreign investors, lobbyists, and contractors frequently take advantage of the state’s resources.
Institutional Weakness: The Democratic Party, which has controlled Hawaii’s state legislature since 1954, dominates the state’s political scene. Since there are fewer checks and balances due to this lack of political diversity, power abuse is made possible. Furthermore, it is difficult for Hawaii’s underfunded and ineffective legal system to successfully prosecute and punish cases of corruption.
Examples Of Hawaii’s Corrupt Practices
In Hawaii, corruption permeates all governmental branches and levels. Notable examples consist of:
The Kealoha Scandal was the conviction of Louis Kealoha, the former chief of police of Honolulu, and his wife Katherine, a former deputy prosecutor, on charges of conspiracy and obstruction of justice in 2019. In order to cover up their financial deception and theft, they planned a plot to frame a relative for mailbox theft. In addition, a number of law enforcement officers and officials were charged with power abuse related to record-keeping fraud, evidence tampering, lying to investigators, and civil rights violations.
Rail Project: Originally started in 2005 to relieve traffic congestion, the Honolulu rail project has encountered mismanagement, corruption, cost overruns, and delays. The project’s cost, which was initially projected to be $5.3 billion, has increased to $12.4 billion due to continuous delays. Fraud, waste, misuse, and conflicts of interest involving contractors, consultants, officials, and politicians have been exposed by federal investigations and audits.
Bishop Estate: Founded in 1887 as a private school system and trust, the Kamehameha Schools, formerly known as the Bishop Estate, are worth over $10 billion. Nevertheless, it has been entangled in scandals involving trustees who are alleged to have violated fiduciary duties, engaged in self-dealing and nepotism, and mismanaged funds.
Statistical Data:
| City | Corruption Convictions per Capita (Rank) | Contributing Factors |
| Honolulu, HI | Highest | – Historical Legacy: Political and economic inequality resulting from Hawaii’s history of colonization, annexation, and statehood. – Geographic Vulnerability: Vulnerability to outside influences due to its remote position, reliance on tourism, and military spending. – Institutional Weakness: Dominance of the Democratic Party in the state legislature since 1954, leading to fewer checks and balances. Underfunded and ineffective legal system. |
| Examples of Corrupt Practices | Details |
| The Kealoha Scandal | In 2019, former Chief of Police Louis Kealoha and his wife Katherine, a former deputy prosecutor, were convicted on charges of conspiracy and obstruction of justice. The scandal involved a plot to frame a relative for mailbox theft to cover up financial deception and theft. Law enforcement officers and officials faced charges related to record-keeping fraud, evidence tampering, lying to investigators, and civil rights violations. |
| Rail Project | Started in 2005 to relieve traffic congestion, the Honolulu rail project has faced mismanagement, corruption, cost overruns, and delays. The initially projected cost of $5.3 billion has escalated to $12.4 billion due to continuous delays. Federal investigations and audits exposed fraud, waste, misuse, and conflicts of interest involving contractors, consultants, officials, and politicians. |
| Bishop Estate (Kamehameha Schools) | Founded in 1887 as a private school system and trust, the Kamehameha Schools, formerly known as the Bishop Estate, worth over $10 billion, faced scandals involving trustees violating fiduciary duties, engaging in self-dealing and nepotism, and mismanaging funds. |
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In Summary
In conclusion, Honolulu, Hawaii, is ranked as the most corrupt city in the US in a new study by the Institute for Corruption Studies. The study was based on the number of convictions for public corruption per capita from 1976 to 2024. Lng the assessment is economist Oguzhan Dincer, who pinpoints the main causes of Hawaii’s high levels of corruption. Corruption thrives in an atmosphere that is aided by historical injustices, geographic susceptibility, and institutional flaws like the Democratic Party’s enduring domination. Prominent incidents including the Bishop Estate scandal, problems with the Honolulu rail project, and the Kealoha Scandal serve as prime examples of corruption in Hawaii’s government at all levels.